Ammunition for rifles or similar firearms is commonly stored on a belt having a number of loops for receiving respective ammunition cartridges or rounds with the belt being worn by a user. Storage of ammunition in this manner is not always convenient and accordingly, a number of different arrangements have been proposed or provided for storing ammunition in or about the stock of a firearm. For example, one product which is marketed by Michael's of Oregon Co. of Oregon City, Oreg. 97045under their Uncle Mike's® brand comprises a heavy-duty neoprene sleeve that is designed to be stretched over the body of a stock. The sleeve has a number of elastic loops attached to it which serve to store individual pieces of ammunition. A disadvantage with this design is that the sleeve adds to the bulk of the stock and may tend to slip off the stock. A further disadvantage is that the primers and projectiles of ammunition stored in the sleeve are exposed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,476,355 there is described a gun stock having a number of holes drilled into the top of the stock into which rifle cartridges are inserted for storage. A disadvantage with a stock of this type is that it presents a potential safety hazard since the primers of the cartridges are exposed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,157 there is described a shotgun stock that includes a recess in which there are mounted several clips for receiving cartridges. A disadvantage with a stock of this type is that access to the shells is somewhat difficult.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stock for a firearm that provides storage for ammunition and which addresses one or more of the above-described disadvantages of the prior art.